Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

गत्वा भवान्द्रुतं तत्र दृष्ट्वा तां च वरांगनाम् । किमर्थं सा तपस्तेपे को वै तस्याः परिग्रहः

Transliteration

gatvā bhavāndrutaṃ tatra dṛṣṭvā tāṃ ca varāṃganām | kimarthaṃ sā tapastepe ko vai tasyāḥ parigrahaḥ

Translation

നീ വേഗത്തിൽ അവിടെ ചെന്നു, ആ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ സുന്ദരിയെ കണ്ടു അറിയുക—അവൾ എന്തിനായി തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു? അവളുടെ പരിഗ്രഹൻ/ഭർത്താവ് ആരാണ്?

Word by Word

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• भवान्: you (sir)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific pronoun)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वराङ्गनाम्: the excellent woman
• वराङ्गनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वरा अङ्गना)

• किमर्थम्: for what reason?
• किमर्थम्: Sambandha (Question/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम्-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb); तत्पुरुष-निबद्ध (कस्य अर्थः)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेपे: performed (penance)
• तेपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिग्रहः: husband/consort (one accepted)
• परिग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mahīṣāsura (to his spy/agent)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbudācala

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a king (rājan) within the story-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahīṣa issues a sharp order to his agent: hurry to the mountain, observe the radiant woman, and discover her tapas-purpose and consort—an intrusive gaze set against a sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīṣāsura
• Spy (cara)
• Varāṃganā (the maiden)
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (tapas) is purposeful and dharma-driven; attempting to appropriate its fruits through coercion or spying signals adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The inquiry concerns events at Arbuda/Arbudācala, the sacred mountain setting of this khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is referenced, but no specific method (vrata, japa, dāna) is detailed in this verse.